DANA COLLEGE REGISTRAR TO CHAIR DIVERSITY & MULTICULTURALISM COMMITTEE

Eppler says new INS tracking system will be
a challenge for Nebraska schools

Dana College is proud to announce that Registrar Michelle Kempke Eppler has been appointed chairwoman of the Diversity & Multiculturalism Committee for the Nebraska Association of Collegiate Registrars & Admission Officers (NACROA).

Eppler said she was pleased with the appointment, especially to a committee that covers topics she has long been interested. The committee’s main purpose is to keep members of NACROA informed on topics such as affirmative action, especially during sessions at NACROA’s annual conference.

“This appointment speaks well of Michelle and is a favorable reflection on Dana, too,” said Dr. Myrvin Christopherson, Dana College president. “She is an advocate for diversity and a multiculturally rich learning community.”

Although always an important committee, Eppler said changes in federal Immigration and Naturalization Service rules will require special attention in the near future from Nebraska registrars. She expects to provide support as Nebraska’s colleges and universities begin participating in the INS’s new tracking system for international students. The system, Student and Exchange Visitors Information System (SEVIS), was developed after the Sept. 11 attacks. Participation in the system will be mandatory for all higher education institutions by January, and no international students will be allowed to attend American schools without being in the system. (Dana has been using SEVIS since August.)

Dana College is a private, liberal arts institution that currently enrolls approximately 600 students. The campus is located on 150 acres overlooking the Missouri River Valley in Blair, Neb. Dana grants bachelor’s degrees in more than 20 liberal arts, business, education and pre-professional programs, with an emphasis on personalized teaching from experienced and dedicated faculty. Dana is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and its athletic teams compete in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.

More information on Dana College can be found on its web site, www.dana.edu.

— END —

For more information contact:

Sarah Cavanah
Communications Coordinator
Dana College
(402) 426-7216
scavanah@fs1.dana.edu

Michelle Kempke Eppler
Registrar
Dana College
(402) 426-7209
meppler@fs1.dana.edu